Editing 883: Pain Rating
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | In medical examinations, a doctor will sometimes ask the patient to {{w|Pain scale|assess their pain}}, to give the doctor a rough idea of the patient's condition. [[Cueball]] is asked by doctor [[Ponytail]] to compare the pain in his arm with the worst pain that he can imagine; however, a one-to-ten scale is not useful for Cueball because in his imagination the worst possible pain reduces him to a huddled ball | + | In medical examinations, a doctor will sometimes ask the patient to {{w|Pain scale|assess their pain}}, to give the doctor a rough idea of the patient's condition. [[Cueball]] is asked by doctor [[Ponytail]] to compare the pain in his arm with the worst pain that he can imagine; however, a one-to-ten scale is not useful for Cueball because in his imagination the worst possible pain reduces him to a huddled ball and also rescales his current pain to a 1. Apparently, he has the capacity to imagine pain so intense that it dwarfs any possible real-world pain, thus skewing the scale, and this is what [[Megan]] refers to when Ponytail asks what is wrong with his imagination. |
The title text further emphasizes that idea: If the pain was higher than ''one'' on his pain scale, it would already be so high that he would be reduced to uncontrollable, unending screaming. It is possible that the title text is implying that any break in the screaming whatsoever-- even to breathe-- would be impossible. If this is the case, then Cueball must be supplying his body with oxygen some other way. If the energy contained within the pain impulses in his nerves was being converted directly into oxygen via mass-energy conversion, then that would mean Cueball would, at just pain level two, be experiencing 1.3*10^19 pain impulses per second. There are only about 7 trillion (7*10^12) nerves in the human body, so Cueball would be experiencing the amount of pain that 1.85 million people would experience if every single nerve ending in their body was firing a pain signal. We here at explainxkcd shiver to think what Cueball could be envisioning. | The title text further emphasizes that idea: If the pain was higher than ''one'' on his pain scale, it would already be so high that he would be reduced to uncontrollable, unending screaming. It is possible that the title text is implying that any break in the screaming whatsoever-- even to breathe-- would be impossible. If this is the case, then Cueball must be supplying his body with oxygen some other way. If the energy contained within the pain impulses in his nerves was being converted directly into oxygen via mass-energy conversion, then that would mean Cueball would, at just pain level two, be experiencing 1.3*10^19 pain impulses per second. There are only about 7 trillion (7*10^12) nerves in the human body, so Cueball would be experiencing the amount of pain that 1.85 million people would experience if every single nerve ending in their body was firing a pain signal. We here at explainxkcd shiver to think what Cueball could be envisioning. | ||
− | A similar doctor Ponytail is shown | + | A similar doctor Ponytail is shown in [[1713: 50 ccs]] also along with Cueball and Megan. |
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
− | :[Ponytail | + | :[Ponytail is carrying a clipboard and consulting with Cueball, who's sitting on a high medical table.] |
:Ponytail: Any pain? | :Ponytail: Any pain? | ||
:Cueball: My arm really hurts. | :Cueball: My arm really hurts. | ||
− | :[ | + | :[Megan is standing behind Ponytail, as the panel widens.] |
:Ponytail: How would you rate the pain, from one to ten, where ten is the worst pain you can imagine? | :Ponytail: How would you rate the pain, from one to ten, where ten is the worst pain you can imagine? | ||
− | :[ | + | :[The patient sits on the table.] |
− | : | + | :Patient: The worst pain I can imagine? |
− | :[ | + | :[Cueball ponders this, raising a thoughtful hand to his jaw.] |
− | :[ | + | :[Cueball appears to be shocked.] |
− | :[ | + | :[Cueball is huddled up on the table.] |
:Cueball: One. | :Cueball: One. | ||
− | :Ponytail: | + | :Ponytail: ...What the hell is wrong with his imagination? |
− | :Megan: | + | :Megan: It's not a normal place. |
{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
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[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]] | [[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]] | ||
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]] | [[Category:Comics featuring Megan]] | ||
− | [[Category: | + | [[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]] |
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